The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has relocated February’s tri-nation One-Day International (ODI) series with New Zealand and South Africa from Multan to Lahore and Karachi, two cities set to host the Champions Trophy later in the month.

The PCB said the move was due to the advanced stage of preparations at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and Karachi’s National Stadium, which will host six of the 12 Champions Trophy group stage matches.

Lahore will also host one semi-final as well as the final provided India, who are playing all their matches in Dubai following an agreement that neither India nor Pakistan will visit each other’s countries for ICC tournament matches, do not qualify.

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will also host three matches of the eight-team tournament.

The PCB is upgrading the facilities at all three venues in the country as Pakistan prepares to host an ICC tournament for the first time since 1996, when they co-hosted the ODI World Cup.

The tri-series will be played from February 8-14, while the Champions Trophy will kick off on Feb. 19 in Karachi, with defending champions Pakistan playing New Zealand.

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has termed the incomparable Jasprit Bumrah the greatest all-format fast bowler after his Player-of-the-Series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Bumrah produced one of the best-ever bowling performances by an overseas pacer in Australia and picked up 32 wickets over five Tests.

“The thing I’ve thought about Bumrah, after the series finished and I was sitting and thinking about his performances, I actually think he’s the best fast bowler ever across all three formats,” Clarke told ESPN.

“I know a lot of great fast bowlers, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath, didn’t get to play T20 cricket, so I’m not talking about those guys. But in regards to anyone who has played all three formats, I think he might be the best ever.

“He’s actually that good in any conditions, that’s what makes him great; any conditions, any format, this guy’s a freak.”

The former Australia captain believed that India could have won the series-deciding Sydney Test had Bumrah bowled in Australia’s second innings and some more runs under their belt.

Bumrah had suffered an injury on the second day of the match at SCG and was immediately taken to the hospital for a scan.

The Indian pace spearhead returned to bat the following morning but he did not bowl in Australia’s second innings because of a back spasm as the hosts successfully chased down a target of 162 with six wickets in hand to win the series 3-1.

“I reckon India were probably 20 runs short (in Sydney),” Clarke said.

“I reckon a 180 lead, with Bumrah in the team, I think India are home. I think Bumrah is that good… he’s so much better than the other bowlers they had in the team.”

Bumrah was in a league of his own as his 32 wickets came at an incredible average of 13.06 and a strike rate of 28.3.

Mohammed Siraj was the next highest wicket-taker among Indian pacers with 20 scalps at 31.15.

Australia’s 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas accepted responsibility for an on-field spat with Jasprit Bumrah on Day 1 of the Sydney Test.

Konstas exchanged words with Bumrah before the final ball of the day was bowled.

Bumrah — the calmest of players — was visibly annoyed with Usman Khawaja, who was deliberately taking time to take strike in order to ensure that another over wouldn’t be bowled before stumps.

Bumrah made his frustrations clear, prompting a response from Konstas at the non-striker’s end.

The verbal dual escalated, forcing Umpire Sharfuddoula to step in and keep the legend and the young opener away from each other.

A fired-up Bumrah then struck off the final delivery of the day as he had Khawaja caught in the slips by Virat Kohli and followed it up with a big stare in the direction of Konstas, who meekly walked back to the Aussie dressing room.

‘Oh, I didn’t get too fazed. Unfortunately, Uzi (Khawaja) got out. He was trying to buy some time a little bit. It was probably my fault, but it happens. It’s cricket,’ Konstas told Triple M.

He lauded Bumrah’s composure and skill for not getting swayed with the emotions despite the clash.

‘Credit to Bumrah. He got the wicket, but obviously great performance from the team.’